If you haven’t checked out the SVS 3000 Micro Subwoofer, then it’s definitely worth a look and a listen.
I have reviewed a few subwoofers over the years and thought my days of auditioning big boxes were behind me. What could possibly be new under the sun in the world of bass? That was before I strolled into a demo room at La Cantera Resort in San Antonio last year, lured there by killer low-end soundwaves pulsing into the hall.
SVS’s Ken Kadis greeted me at the door and offered me a seat. I sat there for the next five minutes with my mouth open and jaw dropped to the floor. When I predictably asked where all the sound was coming from, he gestured down to the floor at a small cube. There sat the SVS 3000 Micro Subwoofer, and I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
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I asked Ken to send me one and here we are, ready for another demo. Was my experience in the Lone Star State just smoke and mirrors or did SVS have another hit on their hands? I was about to find out.
Unboxing the SVS 3000
Most of the SVS products that I’ve reviewed ship in huge cardboard boxes and very little fanfare. The SVS 3000 Micro Subwoofer is no different. I opened the box to find a generic manual and brochure taped underneath the top flaps. I hefted the subwoofer out of the box and was impressed by how heavy and sturdy it felt.
Installation
I set the SVS 3000 on the floor between two large Polk SDA speakers, plugged in the power and connected it to an NAD M10 streamer. I already had the SVS app downloaded, so I opened it and immediately found the SVS 3000 via Bluetooth, ready to connect and configure. I left the majority of the app settings alone. SVS recommends managing most of the bass upstream at the amplifier level. I went into the BluOS app and opened up the NAD M10 audio settings. I configured the crossover at 160 Hz and added 4 dB to the bass output per the SVS 3000 manual.
Configuration
I started playing some music using TIDAL as my streaming source, choosing only MQA content. First up I chose Madness by Muse. I don’t know of many other tracks that do such a good job of evaluating bass performance right out of the gate. I was blown away by the strong kick of its low end. San Antonio hadn’t been a fluke. This was the real deal.
I kept going, playing So What by Miles Davis and Sabotage by the Beastie Boys. There was no distortion, and the bass wouldn’t quit at high volumes where the treble and midrange can sometimes overpower a weaker subwoofer. The SVS 3000 held its own no matter what I threw at it. The whole time I’m still scratching my head wondering how it’s possible something so small can sound this good.
SVS 3000 Final Report
If you’ve been looking for a micro subwoofer or thought the category was full of products that made you decide squarely between design and performance, the SVS 3000 is here to save the day. It’s one of the best sounding subwoofers that I’ve heard in any form factor across myriad manufacturers, not to mention, it’s an amazing deal at $899.99. SVS has done it again and shown the world why sometimes it’s okay to be two inches wide and two miles deep.
